Team Alpha
Team Alpha is a secret U.S. government operation, founded in 1996. It is a team made up of the most elite soldiers on Earth. Its line-up has changed over the years since its formation, but each member must have a highly prestigious record in order to be considered for the team. Formation Former President Layton Hawke saw the need to have a team of unique individuals who could be deployed in situations that others couldn't. Immediately after his re-election, he began the vetting process, eventually selecting five highly-skilled and highly-decorated American soldiers and mercenaries. The original line-up consisted of Wallbreaker, Angel Edison, Deane Grey-Combs, Onkar Persson and newcomer John Schoch. The Siege Team Alpha's first official mission in the winter of 1996 was equally unofficial. Not much is known about the events that led to Team Alpha's first major victory, but the records show that there was a siege somewhere. In a salvaged interview with Hawke, he states: "This is the exact reason this team even exists. When everyone was telling me it was unfounded, I pressed on and that's ultimately what won this battle for us today." In the interview, without being too specific, Hawke goes on to say that the victory has won the world new and valuable allies. It is presumed that, if the Tricade Declassification Act remains honoured, many questions about this event will be answered in 2026. During the Siege, both Angel Edison and Onkar Persson were killed. As a result of this, former leader Wallbreaker left the team. Deane Grey-Combs, adopting the name Greywolf, took over command of Team Alpha by 1997. The Glory Days The five years following the Siege were seen as Team Alpha's "glory days", as quoted by President Jameson Choi. Having justified Hawke's concerns, Team Alpha was allowed to remain operational. They embarked on a long series of successful missions into enemy territory. New members of the team included Andrew "Reaper" Spencer, Coyston Siler, Alistair "Owl" Masterson and the infamous war criminal Fenris Young. In 1999, following a violent altercation between Greywolf and Schoch, Greywolf was forced to leave the team. Shortly thereafter, The Reaper assumed command of the team. The success continued under his guidance for another few years, bringing the United States of America to its highest point of power. The Fall In July 2001, Team Alpha were sent behind enemy lines once more. This time, the mission was Russia. The team were meant to rendezvous with a Dutch agent named Caidenn Rorttsagh and exchange information. However, Johnny Schoch, now using the codename "Shock", was captured and held for nine days within a secret Russian base. The rest of Team Alpha - The Reaper, Coy Siler and The Owl - barely escaped. The team's main concern was that the Russians now had the identity of Agent Caidenn, along with camera footage of the entire team. Documentation of the transmissions regarding these events appear to indicate that President Choi was forced to step down from his position briefly. After several days of deliberation, Shock was reunited with his team. While in captivity, Shock was tortured and interrogated relentlessly. He refused to surrender his team, even while his eyes were being cut out. Blind, but determined, Shock killed every Russian operative in the base and destroyed all records of Agent Caidenn and Team Alpha, setting the base to auto-destruct on his way out. Aftermath In the months following the Russian mission, Shock was surgically implanted with vision neurones, a technology invented by Coy Siler, designed to emulate sight artificially. The Russians blamed America for the destruction of one of their most secret facilities, however, without proof, were unable to retaliate. Shock was awarded classified medals and distinctions, earning the leadership role of Team Alpha. The Reaper departed the team on good terms and now commands Team Beta. Agent Caidenn was added to the team, and from there, the mission success continued. However, details for missions taking place between 2001 and 2004 are almost non-existant. P'zare Citadel In November 2004, President-elect Dennis Tasker sent Team Alpha - now consisting of six members - on a routine classified mission to a place called P'zare Citadel. Again, not much is known about what transpired. What is known, is that the team returned with only four surviving members. Caidenn was badly injured during the mission, but was alive. However his limbs and parts of his head suffered irreparable damage. To prevent him from dying, the U.S. government and the U.K. government came to a trade agreement. It is still unknown exactly what happened or how Caidenn's life was saved, but he returned from the U.K. in a large metal suit of armour, which he can exit, but rarely does. The Disturbance In 2006, dozens of portals opened up around Earth, leading to an assault on the world's most populated cities. Team Alpha were once again called upon to embark on a mission beyond the portals. President Fred Hedge hand-picked three soldiers from the U.K. to accompany Team Alpha on their mission.